


Nickerchen

by delible_ink



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Napping, Summer, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24447886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delible_ink/pseuds/delible_ink
Summary: Stopping for the afternoon to eat and do some spellwork. This is literally just soft and nice.
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	Nickerchen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scarscarchurro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarscarchurro/gifts).



It was the perfect place to stop for the afternoon. For once, the Mighty Nein weren't in a hurry, so when Caduceus spotted an overgrown plot of blackberries, it wasn't hard to convince the others to rest for a while.

They found themselves on a derelict farm, the house nothing more than a square plot of moss covered stones. What had once been a tidy country garden had grown feral. Cad was delighted. He made quick work of lunch, using his own reserves and some vegetables and herbs from the wild patch. He smiled to himself to see even Caleb, who had been consumed by his spellbook for days, slow down to savor the meal. 

"This is marvelous," Caleb praised. 

Cad grinned, thanking him with a soft kiss on the cheek. "Good. Then maybe you can slow down enough to eat a full meal.  _ Without _ books?"

Caleb agreed with mock reluctance. "As long as I get the books after, ja."

With no need to rush on, everyone spread out to take advantage of the scenery, stretch their legs, nap, and enjoy not being on horseback for a while. Caleb found a comfortable spot against a mossy bit of what once was a wall, and began transcribing spells. Even when he rode in the cart, it was nearly impossible to write, and he was grateful for the time to work. The sun warmed him, and he summoned Frumpkin into his lap, after a while giving him permission to wander off, hunt, or do whatever it was fey cats do in abandoned human dwellings.

Caduceus meanwhile, took Jester into the thicket of blackberries to scavenge some dessert. 

An hour or so later, flushed and delightfully tired, they returned with a bag and sunhat full of blackberries, which the group eagerly pounced on. All except Caleb, who was scratching away in his spellbook, paying no attention to anything except the source material he had open on the ground, and the book in his hands, held close to his face as he studied his work, making sure he’d transcribed the runes with accuracy. Mistakes could prove lethal with spells such as these.

Cad watched him, Caleb’s hair glowing copper in the sun. The shadows of his eyelashes dusted the freckles on his cheeks. His elegant fingers, long and spattered with ink, traced over the notes he was studying, correcting a mark or a line in his book. Finally Caduceus picked up his hat with the remaining berries in it, heading to his over-studious wizard.

Caleb didn’t so much as glance up as Caduceus approached. His nose was buried in his book, held entirely too close to his face to be any good for his eyes. He was trying to see if the mark on his page was an ink splatter or part of the rune. The advantage to this was the open space in his lap Caleb created, which Caduceus thought was perfect for him. The sun was trying to pull him into sleep, and Caduceus could think of no better pillow. Carefully Cad crept down, placing his makeshift berry basket on his chest, sighing contentedly as he rested his head in Caleb’s lap. Caleb absently reached down, assuming Frumpkin had returned, until his hands met long silken hair, and the unmistakable fuzz on Caduceus’ cheek.

“Oh. Hallo.” Caleb held his book out of the way to look at his partner. He couldn’t deny the flutter in his chest at Cad’s presence.

Cad’s eyes were half-lidded, a sleepy grin curling up the corner of his mouth. “Hey. Brought you some berries.” He reached into the hat and held one up. Caleb leaned forward and took it, leaving a quick kiss on Cad’s fingertips. 

“Good?”

“Ja. Perfect, schatz. Could I have another?” 

Cad offered him a second one, which Caleb willingly ate from his hand. 

“I really do need to finish this spell, Caduceus.” Caleb stroked his hair, somewhat reluctant to turn his attention back to his work.

“Finish it. I’ll be here. Just--” he yawned, arching his back and snuggling down into Caleb’s legs, “wake me up when you’re done.”

“Ja, okay.” Caleb whispered. He snuck a few more berries, but the purple stains made him anxious for his papers. As he switched between books, reading, writing, scribbling a note or checking a section of his research, his free hand kept finding its way to Caduceus, playing with his hair, smoothing over his beard, tracing the curve of his ear or the angle of his jaw. Cad just took it in, letting the soft, distracted touches lull him to sleep.

Caleb tried valiantly to stay fixated on his work. He did need to finish this spell. But it was early afternoon. The sun was so warm. Caduceus was so warm. He finished the final pieces, setting his book aside.

“I’ll just rest a moment,” he told himself, looking down at the cleric in his lap, sleeping soundly, still smiling.

* * *

The cart was packed, horses watered and food put away. Fjord looked around to see where everyone else had gotten to. Most of the Nein were milling about, more or less ready to leave, although Yasha wouldn’t mind hunting a few more wildflowers.

“Where are Caleb and Caduceus?” he asked no one in particular.

Beau pointed in the direction of the farmhouse. “It’s not my turn to hunt them down. You know how Cad feels about ‘privacy,’ and I have no interest in experiencing that again.”    
Fjord rolled his eyes and took off, Jester trailing behind.

Sure enough, on the opposite side of the crumbling wall, the wizard and the cleric were fast asleep, Caleb’s head propped against the wall, his books forgotten. Caduceus was snoring, unmoved from Caleb’s lap, his hat fallen from his chest, spilling the last few berries onto the ground.

“Oh...Fjord.” Jester whispered gleefully. “Let’s not wake them yet. Look---I think Caleb’s getting a sunburn.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes, things are awful, and you just need something short and sweet. Here you are.


End file.
